Quid Pro Quo
by Dream Trance
Summary: In exchange for Phantom's freedom, Danny asks for one thing: a kiss. Heroes always keep their word…but that doesn't mean Phantom won't try to wheedle his way out of it. Too bad for him Danny's so dead set on getting what he was promised. DFxDP Pitch Pearl AU


**Warning: Very short...**

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_"The youth, intoxicated with his admiration of a hero, fails to see, that it is only a projection of his own soul, which he admires"_ ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Moonlight streamed through the kitchen windows, casting an eerie glow over everything it touched. Usually, moonlit nights like these held a serene quality, although Danny's heart was anything but. The passageway leading into the basement was pitch dark except for a dim light at the bottom of the staircase, not unlike the moonlight highlighting the kitchen floor. He knew what…who cast that glow, and he felt his breath catch a little at the sight.

The boy stepped onto the first step, paused, and then continued on to the next step. Because it was so dark, Danny placed each foot down with care. Slipping now wouldn't just be painful. It would be humiliating. Sweat condensed on his palms, and he wiped his hands against his pajama bottoms, swallowing his nerves.

Three steps up from the bottom, he paused and bent forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the light source. He just wanted to see him…

"Who's there?"

Danny gasped and jerked back, tripping on the raised step behind him. Scrambling to his feet, he rushed up the stairs faster than he'd descended and sat on the top step, eyes wide and heart pounding. It might have been the effect of the walls or the natural echo in the voice, but the sound of the other boy resounded in Danny's ears long after the words had been uttered.

For the second time that night—or morning; it was passed midnight—Danny traveled down the staircase leading into the basement-turned-lab. After taking a deep breath, he called out, "H-hello?"

A rustling sound, like thick material brushing against metal, and then, "You breathe loud enough to wake the dead."

Danny descended the last few steps and set his bare feet on the lab's metallic floor. Immediately, his eyes sought and landed on the only light source in the room, and as he met the green eyes staring back at him, his stomach tried to imitate a butterfly.

The ghost boy crawled forward and placed his hands on the glowing bars of his cage, squinting at Danny. "You look familiar…"

Danny slowly nodded, his eyes still glued to the ghost's face. "About a year ago, we, uh…bumped into each other."

Phantom frowned at him, his forehead wrinkling. A second later, his face lit up in recognition. "The portal! You turned it on and then it…" He banged his fists together and then exploded his fingers outward, adding the sound effects of an explosion. "And we were caught in the blast."

It was a little more complicated than that, but Danny nodded again. His eyes lowered to the black jumpsuit Phantom wore, lingering a second longer on the chest area before meeting the other boy's gaze again.

"Listen." The ghost shuffled closer to the bars, glowing eyes large and pleading. "I'm not a bad ghost, okay? I was framed. You have to let me out of here."

Danny took a deep breath, his fingers clenching around the stolen key ring he held in his hand. This was it. "Why should I do that?" he asked as he trekked towards the caged ghost.

Dim light reflected off the metal Danny held in his hand, and Phantom's eyes flicked between him and the key. A corner of his lips turned down, his eyebrows pinching together. Again, his gloved fingers seized the bars of his cage. "Because it's the right thing to do," he said, voice hard and eyes narrowed.

"My parents would disagree," Danny replied. "You're a filthy, evil form of post-human consciousness to them." Another deep breath and then Danny fell to his knees in front of the cage. He stared at the floor a moment before meeting Phantom's wary gaze. "I'll let you go…b-but I want something in return. T-to make up for it."

A second passed before Phantom rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, his grip on the bars loosening. "Greeeeat…so what do you want, kid? An autograph? A picture? A strand of hair?"

"A kiss."

Phantom blinked at Danny a couple times, his mouth ajar. "Um…" He shook his head. "Come again?"

Danny squared his shoulders as his heart beat frantically against his chest, his stomach knotting. "I-I want a kiss."

"Oh…kay…" A few more blinks and then the ghost's expression cleared. He laughed. "Well, I'm sure there are plenty of girls at your school who would be willing to give you one. Really, kid, there's no reason to jump to overshadowing—"

"I don't want a kiss from them…I…" Danny lowered his gaze to Phantom's lips. "I want one from you."

Silence descended between them until Danny returned to staring into the ghost's wide eyes. "No." Phantom shook his head, his white hair flowing with the motion. "No, no, no, that is so not happening. Just…_no_."

Danny flinched and dropped his gaze. His fingers clenched around the key ring, the metal biting into the skin. "Fine then." He stood and spun on his heel, marching towards the staircase.

"Wait!"

The human paused and looked over his shoulder.

Phantom visibly bit his lip and looked away, returning the hand that had reached for Danny to the bar. "You don't understand. I _need_ to get out of here. Your parents—"

"—will ground me until college once they find out I let you go," Danny said, turning around to face Phantom again. "But a kiss from you would make the punishment worth it."

The ghost flinched. His green eyes darted between Danny and the lab equipment, his frown growing. His lips spread in a thin line. "I…" He swallowed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine..."

Danny couldn't fight the smile spreading his lips. "R-really?" he asked. A second later, he cleared his throat and deepened his voice. "Uh, I mean, that's good. Good choice."

Phantom rolled his eyes.

Danny returned to the front of the cage and sat on his knees, heart once again pounding. He shuffled closer to the cage bars and met the green eyes staring back at him from less than six inches away. Blushing, he dropped his gaze and cleared his throat. "O-okay, um…"

A cold hand clad in white cloth brushed against his cheek, and blue eyes jumped to meet green again. Phantom's eyes were partially closed, staring intently into Danny's, and the human's lungs faltered, breath stuttering. Phantom drew closer, not once taking his eyes off Danny's, compelling the other boy to do the same until he was stopped by the bars.

Phantom's lips parted, the ghost's cold breath mixing with Danny's on the human's moist lips. Blue eyes closed, the teen's other senses attuned to Phantom's touch, and for the first time he noticed a static-like charge in the ghost's aura. Cold lips brushed against Danny's, and that static charge tickled the sensitive skin, stimulating the nerves and almost eliciting a moan from the recipient.

Almost, because Danny also felt cold fingers brush against the hand that held the key.

The human gasped and jerked away so fast he fell backwards. Phantom cried out in dismay and made a wild grab for the key, only to snatch open air. The ghost banged his fists against the bars, growling a brief curse.

Danny pushed himself upright, blinking at Phantom. "You…you tricked me!"

Phantom crossed his arms over his chest and huffed, blowing his white fringe out of his eyes. "Well, _yeah_. What, you honestly thought I'd just give in like that? I don't cooperate well with obsessed fans, kid."

"My name is Danny," the human teen said, glaring. "Danny Fenton. Not kid."

"Yeah, well, look, _Fenton_, I'm not about to encourage this twisted crush you have on me. It's weird, and honestly, it's creeping me out. Just let me out and I'll sign an autograph or something…and by autograph, I mean the paper kind, not the body art."

"You're not exactly in a position to negotiate, Phantom," Danny returned. He held up the key ring, allowing the key to rattle on the loop. "The only way you're getting out of here with your molecules attached is if you kiss me. Stop being so stubborn."

"Hey, I'll stop being so stubborn once you let go of this kissing thing." He braced his face against the bars. "There _has_ to be something else you want."

Danny shook his head. "I told you. All I want is a kiss."

Phantom snarled through his teeth and banged his fist against the bars, making their glow spark. "Well you can't have one!"

"Then you're never getting out of there!"

"Oh, come _on_!"

"No!"

Phantom growled, and it looked like he was about to yell something else, but a loud bang suddenly echoed into the basement. The boys froze, both looking at the lab entrance with eyes twice their normal size.

"Jack!"

"Don't worry, Mads! I'll fix the coffee table just as soon as we're done tearing apart that ghost kid!"

"He'll still be there in the morning, Jack…"

"I can't wait that long!"

Danny was the first to cast off his paralysis. He grabbed the bars of the cage with his free hand and inserted the key into the lock with the other. He paused, and met Phantom's eyes, stomach twisting itself into knots. "Promise me you'll kiss me later. A-and I mean a real one."

Green eyes darted between Danny and the lab entrance, uncertain. "Um…" His gloves squeaked slightly as he tightened his grip around the metal. The kitchen light turned on and lit the staircase. Phantom tensed, staring wide eyed at the yellow-lit stairs.

Danny banged his palm against the bars, and the ghost's eyes jerked back to him. "Promise me!" he shouted.

"A-all right!" Phantom said. "I promise!"

Not waiting a second longer, Danny twisted the key and threw the cage door open. Phantom shot passed him with such speed Danny's black hair whipped around his face and his pajamas were pulled tight against his body. The boy gasped for a breath a second before he stood and braced his hip against the top of the cage, facing the lab entrance where two shadows had appeared.

His parents were going to be so angry and devastated, but…Danny pressed two fingers against his lips. The sensation of Phantom's aura exciting the skin remained, a memory that would haunt him into the night. A taste of what could be.

He just hoped Danny Phantom was a ghost who kept his promises.

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**I usually only post these to Tumblr, but I really liked this one. I mean, Danny having a fanboy crush on Phantom? D'aww~ That's just one of the ideas I had, though. Danny is so rarely the pursuer, the idea is addicting. **

**Sorry it's so short, but these drabbles are only supposed to be 300-1,000 words long. I just, uh...got a bit carried away with this one. **

**Well, that's it ^.^ Thanks for reading and please share your thoughts~**


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